William I

William I was born on March 22, 1797 in Berlin, the second son of King Frederick William III of Prussia and Queen Louise. He joined the Prussian army at an early age and fought in the Napoleonic Wars, rising to the rank of lieutenant general. He married Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in 1829 and had two children: Frederick and Louise. He became heir presumptive to the Prussian throne in 1840, after his elder brother died childless. He played a major role in suppressing the Revolutions of 1848 in Germany, but also supported some liberal reforms. He became regent for his ailing brother in 1858 and king in 1861. He appointed Otto von Bismarck as his prime minister in 1862, beginning a partnership that would transform Germany. William supported Bismarck's policies of war against Denmark, Austria, and France, which resulted in the creation of the North German Confederation in 1867 and the German Empire in 1871. He was proclaimed German Emperor at Versailles on January 18, 1871, after the Franco-Prussian War. He was widely respected by his subjects and foreign leaders for his dignity, modesty, and sense of duty. He left most of the political affairs to Bismarck, who pursued a conservative and authoritarian course that provoked opposition from liberals and socialists. William survived several assassination attempts, which Bismarck used as a pretext to pass anti-socialist laws. He also supported colonial expansion and naval development, which increased Germany's prestige and rivalry with other powers. He died on March 9, 1888 in Berlin, after a short illness. He was succeeded by his son Frederick III, who died after only 99 days on the throne. His grandson Wilhelm II became the last German Emperor and King of Prussia.